Through The Tornado
by C.V. Atwood
Summary: When Emma and Killian are sucked into Zelena's spell they face a trip through time that is unbelievable even by Storybrooke standards. This is a tale of growth, trust, family, and most importantly true love. Diverts from canon after 3.18
1. Through the Tornado

Since I had such a positive response to my last fic I thought I'd play around with a multi-chapter I've had in my head. This has no relation to The Fitting, but it is still shamelessly Captain Swan. I think this will be about 4 chapters in all. Please let me know what you think, and as always I appreciate reviews. If you really like my writing you can also check out my original work on Fictionpress: ~cvatwood. You can also follow me on Tumblr:

Much luv,

C.V. Atwood

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Ch.1 Through the Tornado

_A Few Hours Ago:_

Today had been an unbelievable day even by Storybrooke standards. It had started out with Henry insisting that he be allowed to leave the loft and spend some time outside. Emma, however, had been insistent ever since the revelation that Zelena meant to alter time that Henry remain indoors under the protection spell. It was for his own safety, but try telling that to a thirteen year old boy who didn't remember he was living in a world with magic. So she had argued with him, David and Mary Margret had attempted to bribe him, and then Killian had shown up and the cause was lost.

Henry, it seemed, idolized Killian, and the pirate absolutely adored her son. So it hadn't taken much begging on Henry's part to get Killian to agree to let him accompany him on a meeting with Mr. Smee. Knowing she had reached the end of her battle, and knowing that there was no better protection for Henry than perhaps Regina, Emma had reluctantly agreed to the outing. Plus, on the positive side, she though Henry might have been able to draw the pirate out of the state of melancholy he had fallen into over the past week. He had been oddly quite, lacking his general flirtatious swagger, and anything but the adventurous and reassuring Killian she had come to expect. She hadn't seen the man's eyes sparkle as much in days as they had that morning upon Henry asking to spend time with him.

Emma had just arrived at Granny's for cocoa and her next lesson with Regina when, two hours after the boys had left the loft, Mr. Smee came crashing through the door, the front of his jacket dirtied and bloody. Emma was up in an instant, fear flaring in every inch of her body. Where were Killian and Henry? And whose blood was all over the babbling man?

All Mr. Smee could manage to sputter were random tidbits about a flying monkey attempting to attack Henry, but that Killian had jumped in the way and been attacked instead. It was his blood that graced Mr. Smee's shirt. As he struggled with the winged simian Killian had screamed at the boy to run which a terrified Henry had been more than happy to oblige. Unfortunately Zelena had predicted such difficulties and had appeared in a puff of green smoke just in time to grab both Henry and the badly injured pirate.

Emma was desperate, Regina was livid, and in no time whatsoever the two had mounted a search to find their missing boy and Killian. They were just entering Zelena's cellar to retrieve Henry and Hook when Emma's phone rang. Grumpy was frantic. Mary Margret had finally gone into labor and she and David were heading to the hospital. That is when it clicked for Emma. The kidnappings had been a ruse to get her and Regina out of the town and away from Zelena's last ingredient. Snow and Charming never made it to the hospital. Zelena was on them the moment they exited the loft, freezing Charming where he stood and transporting her and Snow to the town square with a snap of her fingers. She was going to make sure the entire town had front row tickets for her successful revenge.

Regina was immediately in control of the situation, ever the queen. Her rage fueling her magic in a way that was both fantastic and terrifying. She ordered Emma to free their son and disappeared in a swirl of purple smoke, her hands already crackling with the fireballs she planned to unleash on the Wicked Witch. Emma wasn't sure if she wanted time to move more slowly or more quickly. She was frantic as she attempted to get past Zelena's protection spells, and her untrained magic was misfiring. She could see Henry, his chin resting peacefully against his chest as he slept, but it was several minutes until she could reach him through his invisible barrier. He was unconscious, but from what she knew not.

She had then turned to Killian and the site had horrified her. It was clear her pirate was much worse for the wear. His trademark leather coat was missing completely and his shirt was torn to shreds and bloodied. The way he was crumpled on the floor unmoving Emma couldn't be sure he was alive, but she set to work anyways attempting to channel her magic at breaking Zelena's barrier. As her magic hit the invisible wall and reverberated outward in a spider web of white light she felt her breath catch in her throat. She couldn't be sure, but she could have sworn she had just seen Killian shift ever so slightly. He was alive, but for how long she didn't know.

Again Emma hurled her magic against the barrier. _Please don't let Killian die, please don't let Killian die_… Another shake and another web of light as she hurled all her power into breaking the barrier, her mantra for his survival repeating in her head. She was crying; this barrier was so much stronger than the one Zelena had cast over Henry, and she had a gut wrenching feeling that her time was short.

And then suddenly it wasn't there. Emma's hands were glowing white and hot as she shifted from relying on magic alone to more desperately reaching for her real world strength. She pounded at the barrier with a mixture of magic and fist, and then suddenly she was falling through onto Killian—_Please don't let Killian die_—her hands releasing their energy into the surrounding air as she hit the ground. It was the last thing she saw before they were surrounded by the green tornado, her white light crackling around pirate and princess, but falling just short of Henry.

#

Emma's body collided painfully with the dirt before sliding a few feet across the forest floor. Somewhere behind her she heard Killian grunt as his body too fell from the swirling green tornado. Emma rolled over, attempting to ignore the throbbing pain in her ribs as she pushed herself upward, desperate to check on her son and pirate. It only took a few seconds for her heart to catch in her throat as her hand shot to her mouth in a strangled cry. Henry wasn't anywhere to be found, and Killian was sprawled on the grass one arm twisted unnaturally beneath him, the other falling limply across his face.

"Killian," Emma whispered, stumbling across the clearing to the pirate. She gingerly pushed the arm off of his face and rolled him onto his back, and leaned her ear close to his mouth. He was breathing, but just barely. "Dammit." What was she supposed to do? How could she help him? Regina hadn't taught her any magic for healing. They'd barely made it into conjuring, but she had to do something and judging from the tall trees twisting up around the clearing Emma could guess they were pretty far from the nearest hospital.

Emma took a deep breath. She could do this. It was just like the candle in Dark Hollow or the mirror in the loft, she just needed to believe in herself. Although perhaps she should start small…she didn't want to hurt him any more than he already was. Emma focused on his face where his left eye was swollen purple and blue. She studied the extent of the discoloration and swelling, carefully memorizing it before closing her eyes and extending her hand. Breath. Breath. Breath. Killian. Her heart ached painfully as she extended her hand and allowed the power to flow through her fingers. After a few moments she blinked her eyes open and was relieved that Killian's face was no longer marred.

Reassured, Emma raised her hand yet again, ready to focus on his clearly broken arm. Memorize the wound. Close her eyes. Breath. Breath. Breath. Feel the power flow into her fingers—Emma froze as something sharp connected with the back of her neck, her eyes jumping open rapidly. "Put your hand down witch before I put this blade through your skull."


	2. The Captain

**Ch. 2 The Captain**

"Put your hand down witch before I put this blade through your skull." Emma slowly put her hands up hoping not to startle her attacker. "Borrin bring me some of the unicorn hair ropes," the man called out into the clearing.

"You've got it Locksley," came a responding shout.

Emma perked up at the familiar name. "Robin?" she asked hesitantly.

The blade pushed harder into her neck. "Hardly witch. You won't be so lucky as to get that close." Two more shadows fell across Emma and Killian as her wrists were roughly bound behind her back. A quick tug on her bindings to make sure they were tight, and Locksley removed his sword as her captors twisted her to face their apparent leader. His hair was long and dark blonde, secured tightly behind his neck in a low ponytail, and his eyes were a deep chocolate brown. Emma also noticed that his clothes were that of the Enchanted Forest, worn brown breeches and a dark green tailcoat that had been buttoned to his neck. At his side the sword he had pressed to her neck flashed dangerously in the morning sun, and across his back was slung a long wooden bow.

A handful of similarly dressed men emerged from the surrounding woods as the two that had tied her knelt beside Killian. She could feel them fumbling behind her before one finally called out, "He's alive sir."

"Get him loaded into the carriage. We will deal with the witch." Locksley's dark eyes darted briefly to the pale dark haired man sauntered up to join him, before returning to Emma. "Tell me what you've done to that man witch."

"I didn't hurt him if that's what you're insinuating. I was trying to help him. I fixed the swelling on his face."

The dark haired man's steel grey eyes narrowed suspiciously. "A likely story witch. We all saw the tornado you conjured. That is deeply dark magic. Only the work of a witch—"

"Stop calling me that!" Emma snapped, struggling against the bindings at her wrist. "I'm not a witch. I'm Emma, the Savior. Emma Swan, daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming."

The man's brow rose sharply. "Is that really the story you'd like to stick with Miss? Because if it is, you certainly haven't thought this through well."

"It isn't a story. It is true. I am Emma Swan and that man you're loading into your cart is Killian Jones. We were attacked by the Wicked Witch. She was meddling with—agh!" Emma yelped as the grey haired man stormed forward and snapped her head back with a rough twist of her hair.

"Watch your tongue filth. Witches like you haven't the right to—"

"That is enough Borrin," Locksley bellowed, his sword sliding upward towards his companion. "She may be a witch, but you know the king's rules. She will have a fair trial."

Borrin snorted, but released Emma's hair all the same. "He gives them more mercy than they deserve." Emma watched silently as a strained silence fell between the two men, chancing a glance at the aggressive man beside her. His face was turned in an unpleasant scowl, looking as if he had just smelled something highly distasteful.

A long minute passed, Locksley with his sword still glistening in the sunlight and Borrin's hands clenched just inches from her head before the tension was broken by the call of another green clad man. "We've got him loaded Locksley, but he is fading fast. What will you have us do?"

Emma felt her heart pounding in her chest, her attention returned to Killian as she cast a pleading glance at the less aggressive of her captors. "Please let me help him. Don't let him die."

Locksley cast a hesitant glance between her and Borrin, his sword wavering slightly. "I can't let an unregistered sorceress perform magic. We'll take him to the captain."

#

Emma pressed her hands into the damp wood behind her, her head hanging low in the darkness as she fought to control the panic that was close to overwhelming her. She had been in the brig for several hours without a word on Killian's status. They had trekked through the woods for a good hour before they reached the Captain's ship, Emma keeping her eyes trained on the pale pirate even as she stumbled over rocks and roots, but when they'd reached the docks and climbed the gangplank, Emma had been immediately whisked below deck where she had remained for hours.

The wait was torture. She had tried several times to free herself from her bonds, but it seemed unicorn hair made for a strong rope even against her attempts at magic. When she failed to free herself Emma turned to yelling at the deck above her, hoping someone would take mercy and provide her information, but that could only last as long as her voice lasted. So with a raw throat Emma had turned to silent worrying. She wasn't sure what had happened or why, but she was certain the green tornado they had been sucked through was Zelena's time portal, and she was certain by her surroundings that it had thrown them into the Enchanted Forest. But what had happened to her parents and Storybrooke? What had happened to Henry? Did he even still exist?

Emma jumped to her feet as a cone of light suddenly fell across the room and Locksley bounded down the wooden steps two at a time. "The captain has requested an audience with you," he informed her as he unlocked her cell, but Emma could care less what this captain wanted.

"Where is Killian? How is he? Did he survive?" The questions came out in a rush.

Locksley eyes her cautiously, licking his lips uncomfortably. "The gentleman survived. The captain was able to set him straight no thanks to you. He was riddled with dark magic,"

"I already told you it wasn't me. It was the Wicked Witch," Emma hissed angrily as she was thrust onto the deck and into the blinding sunlight.

"So you are choosing to stick with that story. I would have thought a few hours in my brig would have allowed you to come up with a better one, but alas, some criminals never learn." Emma blinked several times as she attempted to focus on the speaker who she could only assume was the captain. Slowly the dark spots cleared from her vision and a pale woman came into view. She leaned casually against the mast unrolling a dark leather glove over her fingers, her blonde hair pulled high above her head in a tight bun, but the most prominent feature, and the one Emma couldn't ignore, was her coat. It was a heavy black leather justacorps that could only be Killian's.

Emma opened her mouth to question the garment, but the woman's blue eyes caught her in a piercing stare. "Miss we can either do this the nice way or the hard way. I have no particular preference, but I _will_ find out who you really are. Now would you like to try again at telling me just what your name is and where you are from?"

Emma growled in frustration, "I already told Locksley here that my name is Emma Swan. I am the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Killian Jones, the man I was found with, and I were in Storybrooke when the Wicked Witch cast a curse and we got sucked into the tornado that deposited us here."

"You're lying."

Emma bucked against Locksley angrily. "How would you know? You weren't even there."

"I know Miss because you are awake and talking. Princess Emma has been laying in the highest tower of the castle stuck in a cursed sleep for twenty-five years."

"She…I…what?" Emma choked on her confusion, but the captain didn't seem ready to let her catch up.

"I also know that the man in my chambers, the one that was on the edge of death after being riddled by dark magic, isn't Killian Jones, because Killian Jones is laying right there next to her in an equally cursed slumber, neither with any hope of waking." The captain took several dangerous steps forward, her gloved hand reaching out roughly to capture Emma's chin. "So I give you another chance, who the bloody hell are you and what are you doing in this kingdom?"

Emma opened her mouth and then closed it again slowly, the captain's thumb digging painfully into her cheek. What the hell was going on? How could she be in an enchanted sleep? She was here, wherever here was or—Emma's heart skipped a beat and she inhaled sharply—whenever she was. "I am who I say," she whispered slowly. "Just let me explain."

The captain shot her a look of disgust, pushing her face away roughly. "Wrong answer. Put her back in the brig Locksley. If she wants to try and explain her way out of this one she can do it to the King. I'm not wasting my time."

"Absolutely Captain Jones."

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**So I hope you liked Chapter 2 as much as Chapter 1! I bet you weren't expecting the tornado to go this way. As always, if you liked it feel free to let me know. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. :)**

**Much luv,**

**C.V. Atwood**


	3. From Now to Now

**Ch. 3 From Now to Now**

Henry. Her son Henry. King Henry. Middle aged Henry. Emma stared, not quite believing her eyes, across the dining hall table at the boy—no, man—before her. Henry had changed significantly from the boy he was just that morning. He was now a good few inches taller than Emma, tucked into a red doublet, and his face…he had facial hair!

Henry leaned forward with a broad smile spread across his face. "I just can't believe you are really here. This is amazing, this is completely unexpected—"

"I'll agree that this is unbelievable even by your standards Miss Swan." Emma's eyes darted sharply to Regina. The regal and dark haired queen she had become so familiar with was gone, instead replaced by an aging woman with peppering hair and a smattering of fine lines across her face. She still had her same practiced dignity and poise however; that was unmistakable.

"You're telling me," Emma snapped back irritably before returning her focus to her son—her Henry who believed her. It was the most relieving and warm feeling Emma could imagine. Even with the insane story she had just provided Henry always believed in her. As soon as they'd reached the castle Locksley and Borrin had brought her to meet with Henry and Regina, while Captain Jones had supervised the transfer of Killian to one of the castle's bedrooms. "I am just relieved that you didn't throw me in the dungeon the moment I opened my mouth."

"Oh I did think about it."

Henry shot a pointed look at Regina who crossed her arms in front of her chest before returning his gaze to Emma. "Well if you'd have answered any of my questions incorrectly I might have considered it. Plus it did help when you conjured up these cocoas with white magic. There are only two people I have ever seen cast that type of magic." He reached forward and pulled the steaming mug to his lips, the abundant whipped cream sticking to his moustache. Regina sniffed her own cocoa disdainfully before also tilting back her mug.

"So what the hell is going on? One minute I'm in Storybrooke with the Wicked Witch's curse bearing down on me and the next minute you're forty. I thought the Witch was going back in time, not forward."

"Oh she did. We all did, except you Miss Swan. I always wondered why we couldn't find you in the Enchanted Forest of the past after the curse."

"But I thought there was another me in this time. If you were so worried why didn't you just ask?"

"First of all, there is only one Emma Swan in this time. You are the same person even if there are two bodies. Second, I would have if you hadn't lost your memories. After Robin and I played matchmaker for Snow and Charming—a nauseatingly sweet endeavor I assure you—and thwarted Zelena's plan to prevent your parents from meeting, their true love's kiss broke the curse and sent us back to the present. We found you and Hook sleeping soundly in the bottom of my sister's cellar. There was still magic hanging in the air, but when we woke you all you could remember was the tornado coming at you. We knew something big had happened, yes, but you remembered Hook as nearly dead when he was somehow alive and well. I presumed the magical residue was from some powerful healing and protection spell." Regina sucked distastefully on her teeth, "You're magic is obnoxious like that."

Emma chose to ignore the snide remark in favor of gathering more information. "But we came to the future instead. How?"

"I can only speculate. My knowledge of time travel is unfortunately limited and Rumpelstiltskin died years ago, but I would speculate your magic was acting just as annoyingly limitless as it always does. Tell me Miss Swan, what were you thinking when you released your spell."

"I don't know. I was trying to save Killian and I was panicked. I suppose it was some form of not wanting him to die."

Regina cocked her head in thought for a few moments, taking another sip from her mug. "_Well_, then I would postulate that you hijacked Zelena's curse. Time is relative, it doesn't operate in the straight line we imagine. Once Zelena opened her portal it was open to all time. That was what Alexander was for—" Emma cast her a questioning look. "Your brother. Alexander was a tool for grounding the curse, a means of giving it direction to a specific point. By sacrificing the product of true love Zelena could force the curse to take her back to the moment in which that same true love was born, a birth for a birth. You somehow overrode that grounding point, perhaps because you simply can't follow rules, but more likely because following them would have meant that your precious pirate would have perished. Death must have been awaiting him in the past, but at this point in the future he could live."

"My magic did all that."

"You are infuriatingly powerful Miss Swan."

"Plus there is the whole true love thing," Henry added with a chuckle.

Emma blanched. "We aren't…"

"Well not officially, but one could hazard a guess."

"I did tell you that the pirate pined for you. But the largest indication was your daughter's exceptional magic. I have never seen a more powerful sorceress. Not even you."

"Captain Jones?"

"Aemilie," Henry corrected with a smile.

Emma leaned back against her chair, her hand snaking to her forehead. "Aemilie," she sighed, "My daughter with _Hook_."

"You don't have to look so appalled by it mom. Things are pretty different now from what you remember."

"Yeah, I think I've got that. I've got a daughter, you are older than me, Rumpelstiltskin is dead, Killian and I are under a sleeping curse. What has happened in the last however many years? Where are my parents?"

An uncomfortable look passed between Regina and Henry, and this time it was Henry who opened his mouth to explain. We don't know where Grandma and Grandpa are. After the curse was broken there were some problems with Alexander. Zelena used him to channel a curse so there was a lot of dark magic that went through him, and well, it didn't all leave. There were episodes."

Regina snorted. "That toddler levelled an entire block of Storybrooke with a temper tantrum. He gave whole new meaning to the terrible twos."

"He didn't know any better. But it was dangerous to keep him in the real world. His magic would only grow stronger and put more people even beyond the town in danger. So we made the decision to return to the Enchanted Forest. Killian knew of an island from his travels where magic becomes powerless. So we enlisted the help of the white rabbit—a story for another time—and came home. Grandma and Grandpa headed off for the island, but the kingdom was still in ruins so mom took over her old post as queen, at least until I was old enough to become king."

Emma wrinkled her nose in disbelief. "And the people just accepted that? I seem to remember that no matter how many good deeds you did in Storybrooke there were still some people entirely unwilling to forgive you."

Regina cocked an irritated brow. "Having the blessing of the Charming Family can sometimes have its benefits. Snow officially pardoned me and you were quick to offer your support too, anything so you wouldn't have to take the throne yourself."

"But what about not knowing where my parents are? How do you lose people on an island?"

"We didn't lose them Miss Swan, they were taken. Their disappearance and your cursed state are really two sides of the same coin. After we came back from the past we waited a few months for some indication of my sister's fate, and when Rumpelstiltskin returned to us with dagger in hand we believed her to be truly defeated, destroyed by the power of her own curse. Storybrooke entered a time of relative peace. There were no villains out to get us, and aside from your brother's magical outbursts all was quite."

"So that's when you and Killian decided to start dating," Henry cut in with a smirk. "Killian finally decided that with the Wicked Witch out of the picture he could tell you about the curse she'd put on him."

"The curse?" Emma asked with a frown.

"Yeah. Some deal where if he kissed you you'd be stripped of your powers. But anyways, you two started dating, and somehow avoided kissing for almost a year until something changed. You finally let your guard down mom, and decided to give everything to falling in love including your powers. You kissed and true to Zelena's intention you were stripped of your magic."

"But I thought you said we were true love, and true love breaks any curse?"

"It breaks any curse inflicted on someone by another. Hook had a hand in his own curse. The stupid pirate invoked your name, thus inviting his curse."

Henry gave an exaggerated sigh at Regina's lack of tact before continuing, "To make a long story short over the next year you grew closer and just days before our return to the Enchanted Forest you were married. We all stayed here in the castle with mom and Robin, you know like some big awkwardly blended family, and a few short months later, just after mom and Robin had their first son, you became pregnant. Things seemed to be going along well until about a month before Aemelie was supposed to be born. Grandma and Grandpa were supposed to travel back from the island for the birth, but they never arrived. Killian and Robin went to look for them, but the island was deserted. It was our first sign that Zelena was back."

Emma practically spat the hot chocolate she had been sipping. "Zelena is what? Regina, I thought you said you had defeated her?"

Regina glared. "I thought I had, but it seems the insufferable witch was just bidding her time until she could regain her strength, and once she had she decided it was necessary for her to get her hands on your brother's volatile dark magic. She kidnapped the Charmings so she could take Alexander as her apprentice, the stress of which sent you into an early labor. Aemelie was an extremely magical baby and her small body couldn't control it, and since you no longer had your magic your body couldn't control it for her. During the birth she expelled too much magic severely wounding you, and the only way I could hope to save you was to offer you an enchanted sleep. Your body would heal and when your pirate returned he could wake you. I was confident from Aemelie's magic that she was second generation true love."

"What I did not count on, however, was my sister's ability to hold onto objects of magical significance. She had acquired a sleeping curse of mine during your time, a curse she still held dearly. As your pirate and my husband attempted to return from the island she intercepted them, and under circumstances we know not since she turned my husband into one of her monkey henchmen, convinced Hook to accept her curse."

Henry picked up the story. "So that was it. You were both in an enchanted sleep unable to kiss the other awake. I tried, but it didn't work, and so we were left to make the best with what we had left. Mom took over raising myself and Aemelia, and the two of you were moved to a highly secured magically protected tower under the hope that we could one day find a cure, and that is where we remain today. Zelena is still out there building her strength with the aid of Alexander and we are doing all we can to protect this patch of kingdom."

Emma looked carefully at Regina who was avoiding eye contact. "You raised Henry and you raised my daughter…"

"Yes Miss Swan, I believe I am two for two."

"I don't know what to say other than tha-"

The three occupants of the room jumped as the door suddenly slammed open. "Henry, I've got the man settled in his chambers and the nurses are with him now, but I—what is going on here?" Aemelia stopped abruptly a few feet into the room, her eyes jumping from Emma's freed hands to the cocoa being shared at the table. "Why is the witch not bound, and why are you sharing drinks?" Her blue eyes darted up to Henry's, imploring him to explain, but before he could open his mouth her hand jumped to cover her strangled cry. "You can't mean…they aren't…Henry…"

"Breath Aemelia. Calm yourself." Emma's heartbeat quickened at Regina's alarmed voice. "Where are the gloves Rumpelstiltskin gave you?" Emma's eyes grew wide as she noticed her daughter's hands, minus the leather gloves from earlier, were beginning to glow dangerously, the magical energy around them crackling through the air.

"Sis," Henry whispered soothingly as he stood up from his seat. "There is nothing to be upset about. If you calm down you can sit with us and—"

"I've got to go," Aemelia whimpered, her face contorted in obvious panic and pain. "I can't stay here." She turned on her heel and fled from the room, Killian's black justacorps billowing behind her.

* * *

**A/N- OK so to start ASDFGHJKL! What the heck with tonight's episode. I enjoyed it, but I also cursed it at the same time. Why Adam and Eddy, why! **

**Calming down...so on a more positive note I'd like to thank all my reviewers so far. You guys are awesome and make me smile. :) See! Also I hope you can follow this chapter alright. I've never written time travel before and gosh is it complicated. I have also come to the conclusion this will be a few more chapters than I initially thought, mostly because scenes I imagined as short have taken on a life of their own.**


	4. For the Love of a Daughter

**Ch. 4 For the Love of a Daughter**

It was three long days before Killian awoke, and in that time Emma had found herself going stir crazy in the highly secured castle. With Zelena hanging over their heads Henry and Regina were in a state of almost constant alert, and with the arrival of past Killian and Emma in their midst it seemed the level of security had grown exponetially. Regina had put a damn tracking spell on Emma, and she was pretty sure she had done the same for Killian even though he wasn't going to be moving far in his unconscious state. Henry had gone so far as to ground her, issuing orders to the staff that their guests were to remain within a very limited set of wings, wings that did not include the highest tower of the castle. When Emma had confronted him about it Henry had merely shrugged and offered a teasing reminder that he was, after all, older and wiser than her in this time.

But perhaps what bothered her the most was the absolute lack of interaction between her and Aemelie. In fact, she hadn't seen the girl since that day in the dining hall. Every meal had been conducted in the presence of Regina and Henry which had allowed her to ask more questions about the time that had passed, and she had even had the pleasure of getting to know Regina's son Everett Locksley without a sword to her neck, but not once had Aemelie joined them for dinner. So for every meal one full place setting sat at the table completely clean and untouched.

Yesterday, when Emma was doing her daily walk from the dining hall to Killian's room she had thought she spotted familiar locks of golden blonde hair down one of the side corridors, but by the time she processed the discovery and turned around the hallway was empty, just the curtains blowing in the wind and a window looking out at the tallest tower. Thus it was of immense relief both for his health and her mental state when, on the evening of the third day, Killian finally opened his eyes. Emma needed to talk and she knew she could always count on him to listen.

"So let me get this straight Swan," Killian began again for the umpteenth time, "you and I are an item in this time?"

Emma rolled her eyes at the pirate's gleaming gaze. "Yes. I have already told you that several times, but if you keep asking I might decide to revise that part of the timeline."

Killian smirked. "Oh good luck with that love. It is my understanding that the past is pretty set in stone, and it seems to be quite a delicious past in the case of you and me."

"We're both under a sleeping curse while Regina raises our only daughter and Zelena turns my brother into some dark arts apprentice," Emma retorted dryly. "I'd hardly call that delicious."

"Details that I am confident can be overcome. What is important is that I swore I'd win your heart and I did. You love me Swan."

"Princess Emma loves this time's Killian Jones. My feelings are a bit more in the shades of grey, perhaps even more of a murky black."

Killian's blue eyes glinted mischievously from the bed. "That would be the leather."

Emma snorted, "I assure you, it isn't the leather."

"Love I have three hundred years of experience, it's _always_ the leather."

"You are insatiable. I hope you know that."

"Only in matters of you Swan." He smiled innocently. "Now onto more important topics, when can I get out of this bloody bed and meet our daughter?"

Emma cocked a brow. His face was studiously calm, but his voice had an edge of eagerness to it. "Well, your nurse says you should be fine to come to breakfast tomorrow, but I wouldn't count on meeting our daughter. She pretty much lost it when she realized I wasn't bluffing, had a magical melt down and fled the room. I haven't seen her since. Henry says she's busy, but I've tracked enough people who didn't want to be found to know she's avoiding us."

Emma's heart clenched as Killian's smile faded, his brows furrowing in a slight frown. "But you never know," she added quickly, "she probably just needs time. It has to be strange meeting your parents when they aren't your parents. I'm sure anyone would be aloof. Give it a day or two."

#

A day or two turned out to be closer to a week, and Killian decided he wasn't one for waiting around. He may not know much about time travel, but he considered himself a logical person. It stood to reason that if Snow White and Prince Charming sharing true love's kiss in the past would undo Zelena's curse and propel the others back to their own time than it would likely do the same for them as well. And since he didn't know how long it took them to accomplish such a task, Killian was less than comfortable waiting on time and fate. So being the pirate he was, Killian decided to bend the rules a bit. Ok, her completely shucked them and settled on charming his way to forgiveness later.

Just because someone was not showing up to the dinner table didn't mean that they weren't eating, and Killian made it his mission to follow the food. Roughly a half hour before every meal Killian was skulking in the hallways attempting to look as disinterested as possible in the activities of the staff while actually keeping a sharp eye on their every movement, ready to trace them back to the kitchens. The whole task would have been much easier if he had his usual black attire. He could have hidden in the shadows to avoid suspicion, but the Killian Jones of this time apparently only had a closet of more noble clothing. So it was with a bright gold justacorps that Killian attempted to be invisible—not an easy task mind you.

It took a full two days of casing the hallways before each meal to locate the kitchens down one of his forbidden hallways, and another twenty minutes to convince Regina who was sharp on her tracking spell that he had simply gotten turned around. Following the food back to his daughter would have to be pulled off at a more opportune time with greater speed. Luckily that opportune time came in the form of the knights' annual inspection. For a full afternoon Regina and Henry would be otherwise occupied in town, which meant Killian would be otherwise engaged in tracking down the elusive Aemelie Jones.

During lunch Killian made quite the show of having a horrible migraine, a charade he kept up through the day even as Emma parted for dinner with a suspicious gleam in her eye. Once free of his love's watchful eye Killian made a hasty dash for the kitchen corridor just in time to see a woman emerge with a singular plate tucked under a warming cover. She spiraled up the stairs for several floors and turned off into a corridor that Henry had expressly conveyed was off limits, but Killian shrugged off the order as he quietly slid behind a wide marble pillar. He watched, barely breathing, as the woman placed the food on the floor before rapping sharply on the door.

After a few moments the woman's footsteps faded down the stairwell and he heard the familiar sound of metal clicking as the door was unlocked. Killian was out from behind his pillar in an instant, dashing across the floor and sliding his foot into the open door just as his daughter reached for her meal. Aemelie jumped and tried to snap the door shut, but Killian pushed his body further into the door frame. "Good evening princess."

Aemelie scowled, one gloved hand twitching angrily. "You are out of bounds."

"Pirate. I've never been much of the rule abiding type." Aemelie snorted, her face taking on the same unimpressed expression he was used to seeing on Emma. "May I come in?"

"I don't see how I have a choice. You won't let me close my door."

"No, but I did bring a peace offering," he said, producing a flask from his inside pocket as he crossed the threshold into his daughter's room. "I smuggled some wine from dinner last night."

Aemelie leaned against her dressing table, her arms crossed defensively. "You brought your daughter alcohol?"

"Absolutely," Hook replied with a grin. "It was my understanding that you are well of age." He flashed what he hoped was a reassuring smile as he looked over his daughter. She held every bit of her mother's beauty. Her hair, her lips, the curve of her cheeks were all that of his Swan, everything except for her eyes. Her eyes were unmistakably his, and Killian found himself filled with so much awe that he almost missed her response…almost.

"I don't drink."

Killian was snapped from his admiration by her terse response. "You _don't_ drink?" How the bloody hell did the daughter of Killian Jones, rum connoisseur extraordinaire, not drink?

"No," she confirmed, sliding her hand upward to fiddle with the silver circle hanging from her neck. "It addles the mind and costs valuable focus."

"Right. You are absolutely right. That is a very good lesson to have learned while you are still young." Killian took a deep breath as he slid the flask back beneath his coat. "So, I hear you are the captain of a vessel. You like to sail then?"

"Obviously."

Killian bit the inside of his cheek in frustration. This wasn't going well. "I captained a ship as well you know, the Jolly Roger—"

"I know. I've heard the stories."

"Yes, I suppose you would have." Killian ran his hand awkwardly over his hook, glancing around the room for another topic. He recognized his leather justacorps handing over a chair and opened his mouth to comment.

"Look, I see what you are trying to do," Aemelie cut him off. "You've been alone for a long time and you think that you'll get to know your daughter, do the whole father thing, but the reality is I _don't_ want this."

Killian felt like he had been punched in his gut. His daughter must have heard _all_ the stories including the ones of the infamous Captain Hook, the ruthless pirate who was far from father material. Of course she didn't want to know him. "You don't want to know me," he muttered slowly, his tongue thick in his mouth.

"Well not you specifically. I have no desire to meet mother either."

Killian furrowed his brows in confusion. "I don't understand."

"I have no desire to get acquainted with either of you. I don't see the point."

"The point is we're your parents, and you haven't had the opportunity to meet us here. Don't you want to take this opportunity to get to know us when we aren't sleeping?"

Aemelie pushed herself off the dressing table, turning her back to Killian. "No, not really," she snapped. "I don't really want to get to know people who aren't yet my parents, especially when it is only a matter of time until you return home and I'm left with two catatonic bodies and my king of a brother for family. You get to forget about this when you leave; I have to live with something I can never have. It isn't good for me and it isn't good for my magic."

#

"We have to wake ourselves up." The words were out of Killian's moth in a rush even before Emma had closed the door to her room.

"We what? And how the hell did you get in my room?"

Killian ignored the second question, choosing to jump right into the meat of the conversation. "We need to wake our future selves up. Our daughter needs to have her parents."

Emma slid into a nearby chair, tugging at the uncomfortable white cotton dress she wore. "And you decided this while you were napping?"

"No," Killian replied, brushing off the absurd notion that Captain Hook would take naps. "I spoke with her."

"You spoke with her and she told you to wake us up?"

"Well no, but it is what she wants. She says she doesn't want to know us now because we are going away, but I know what she really wants is to know her us, this time's us. She's got my coat and she's wearing your necklace."

"You are aware you sound insane. Family heirlooms don't mean she wants us to wake up, and even if they did you know that we can't wake our future selves up."

"You don't really mean that Swan. I know she isn't technically an orphan, but for all intents and purposes she is, so you should know as well as anyone this is what she wants. She thinks she doesn't want to get to know us because she doesn't want to miss us, but what she means is she already misses us and getting to know us will make that pain worse."

"And how would you know?"

"Because," Killian growled irritably, clenching his fist at his side, "you aren't the only orphan out there love." Emma's eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth to comment, but Killian cut her off. "It is a story for another time. But _I _need to do this, _we_ need to do this. I am not going to let my family down."

"And how do you propose we sort this out? You can't exactly waltz up and kiss me. Your next kiss is supposed to be cursed, and for all we know kissing the me here could eliminate that curse. You can't waste it on the future me because in roughly a year and a half you need to use it on _me_ me. And I'm fairly certain my kiss won't work on you."

Killian shook his head slowly, his expression tense. "I'm just going to have to change your mind."

Emma looked at him in disbelief. "Really, how do you plan to do that?"

"Why Emma Swan, I am going to make you fall in love with me."


End file.
